Tension mechanism for winding-machines.



J. 0. MoKEAN. TENSION MECHANISM FOR WINDING MACHINES. APPLIGATION IILED 1111.29, 1912.

1,027,140. I Patented May 21,1912.

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J. 0. -MuKEAN. v TENSION MECHANISM FOR WINDING MACHINES. APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 29, 1912.

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JOHN O. MGKEAN', 0F WESTFIELD, .MA SSAGI-IUSETTS.

TENSION MECHANISM FOR WINDING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

" Application filed January 29, 1912. Serial No. 674,007.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN O. MoKnAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tension Mechanism for Winding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cop winding machines, particularly to winding machines of that class wherein the cop holder or spindle is axially rotated to .wind yarn or thread upon the cop or bobbin. I

In winding machines the thread is led from the source of supply, through a tension device, to the cop or'bobbin, in order that a desired degree of tension maybe put upon the thread to cause .it to be laid straight andto give a certain degree ofcompactness to the cop. In the class of winding machines in which the cop is axially rotated, the speed at which the thread is taken up by the rotating cop increases as the diameter of the cop being wound increases and this increase in the speed of the thread naturally increases the tension put upon the thread as it is drawn through the tension device during the progress of the winding as the cop grows in size. This increase in the tension on the thread produced by the growth of the cop is objectionable and it is the object of my invention to obviate the same and keep the tension constant, as it may be initially adjusted throughount the winding of the cop. In the drawings: Figure l is a partial front view of a winding machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

The machine herein shown comprises a cam shaft 3 on which is mounted a cam 4: that actuates a thread guide 5, the latter being mounted upon a guide rod 6 and sliding back and forth parallel with the cop holding spindle 7. The spindle 7 is journaled on a carriage 8 slidably mounted on a guide rod 9 and a shaft 10 and carries a beveled gear 11 driven by a beveled gear 12 loosely mounted on rod 9 and compounded with a spur gear 13, also loose on said rod. The gear 13 is driven by a broad faced gear 14: fixed to shaft 10 and this shaft is provided with fast and loose pulleys 15 and 16 cooperating with a driving belt 17 through which the machine is driven from a source 23 with an arm 24 projecting from a hub 25 loosely 'mounted on a stud 26. The stud 26 is fastened by means of a screw 27in a lug 28' projecting from the frame of the ma chine and has a bracket 29 rigidly fixed on one end thereof. The bracket 29 is made with a stud 30 on which is pivotally mounted a tension lever 31 provided with an arm 32 connected by a spring 33 with another arm 34 projecting from hub 25. The bracket 29 has a downwardly extending arm 35 fixed to it, said arm being made with a plurality of fingers 36 eachcarrying a laterallyextending thread-engaging stud 37 and these studs 37 cooperate with a plurality of laterally-extending thread-engaging studs 38 on tension lever 31. The tension lever 31 is yieldingly urged toward arm 35 by a weight 39 connected with said lever by a chain or cord 40.

The thread to be wound extends from the supply through a guide-eye 41 on arm 35 and thence between the two sets of studs 37 and 38 and around stud 30 to the eye 12 of guide 5 from which it is delivered to the cop. The movement of carriage 8, caused by the Patented. May 21, 1912.

growth of the cop, acts, through link 23 and arms 24: and 34, to continually increase the tension of spring 33. Spring 33, as will be clear, is opposed in its effect to weight 39 and as its force is progressively increased through the growth of the cop the effective force of the weight 39 is progressively and correspondingly decreased and consequently the force of the weight 39 in pressing inward the tension member 31 is effectively lessened so that the draft of the thread as it is pulled through the tension device can more easily force the tension member 31 away from tension member 35 and thus decrease the tension upon the thread by permitting the thread to pass through the tension device in a less angular course. In this way the grasp of the tension device 011 the thread is gradually decreased as the speed of the thread increases, and the draft upon the thread maintained uniform throughout the winding of the cop.

It is obvious that for the weight 39 a suitable spring might be substituted since for pressure or balancing purposes a weight and a spring are well known equivalents, but I prefer to use a weight since by making up the weight 39 of several smaller weights, indicated in the drawings, adjustment of the initial tension may be easily and quickly eflected by adding to or subtracting from the weight 39 one or more of its constituent parts. Furthermore, in the device shown, a weight is preferable to a spring, since its pull remains constant. For means to oppose the weight I show a spring 33, with provision for adjusting the initial tension of the springby means of the catches w, in one of which the end of the spring 33 may be secured and more or less initial tension thus given.

The principle of my new tension device is the opposition of two forces and the progressive changing of that opposition by increasing one force relatively to the power of the other force, as the thread increases in speed.

I claim 1. In a tension mechanism for winding machines, a tension weight, to force the ten sion device into its maximum tensioning position; a tension relieving spring, connected to a part of the machine moved by the growth of the cop so that its force progressively increases as the cop grows, the

force of said spring being opposed to the force of the tension weight.

2. In a winding machine of the character described, in combination, a tension member; a weight for operating said member to produce the tension; a spring connected with said member so as to oppose said weight, and means through which the growth of the cop progressively increases the effect of the spring so as to progressively counterbalance the force of the weight as thespeed of the thread increases.

3. A tension mechanism for winding machines, comprising a tension lever provided with a set of thread-engaging studs; a stationarily supported set of thread-engaging studs cooperating with the studs of the tension lever; a weight connected wit-h the tension lever to hold the studs of the latter against the thread, a spring connected with the tension lever in opposition to the weight, and means through which the growth of the cop, or the like, progressively increases the force of the spring as the cop grows.

Signed by me at Westfield, Massachusetts, this twenty-sixth day of January, 1912.

JOHN O. McKEAN.

Witnesses:

ALICE C. BREEN', LESTER CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

